Batting

The Alfred State baseball team bounced back from a tough extra inning loss in the opener, 5-4 in eight innings, with a 24-5 victory over Hilbert in the nightcap. The Pioneers are now 17-17 overall and 9-7 in AMCC play.

In the nightcap all nine Pioneer starters collected hits and eight of them had multiple hits. Dan Woodward (Honeoye) collected a two-run single in the 1st to give the blue & gold the quick lead but the Hawks scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the inning to tie it up. Mike Gibson (Schenectady) scored on an error in the 2nd to give the Pioneers back the lead before Noah Welch hit a solo homer in the bottom of the inning.

The Pioneers scored seven runs in the 3rd to take the lead for good. Gibson had a two run single to center, Josh Laurie (LeRoy) drew a bases loaded walk, Colin Johnson (Alfred Almond) followed with a two run single to left, Brody Burdett (Scottsdale, AZ) hit a RBI single to left, and Johnson scored on an error to make it 10-3. In the 4th, Laurie hit a 3-run homer to right to make it 13-3. Andy Pichardo (Queens/Academy of American Studies) plated two with a single in the 5th, Danny Doran (Irondeqouit) followed with a three-run homer to center, and Laurie followed with a solo shot to right.

Welch connected on his second homer of the day, a two-run shot in the 5th but the Pioneers answered with five more runs in the 6th. Johnson collected a 2-RBI double to right, Burdett had a sac fly, and Gibson collected another two run single.

Woodward led the 24 hit attack with a 4 for 5, 2 RBI day. Johnson was 3 for 5 with 4 RBI, Connor Pingitore (Amsterdam/Broadalbin-Perth) was 3 for 5, and Gibson was 3 for 6 with 4 RBI. Doran finished 3 for 7 with 3 RBI and Laurie was 2 for 5 with 5 RBI and four runs scored.

Kaleb Smothers (Geneva) five hits and three earned runs to earn the win on the mound. He walked four and struck out one.

In the opener, the Pioneers scored first with a three-run 4th inning. Doran hit a RBI double to center, Johnson followed with a RBI single to right, and Samuel Dickerson (Cutchogue/Mattituck) capped the inning with a sac fly. The Hawks tied it up with three of their own in the 5th. Pichardo gave Alfred State back the lead in the 7th on a two-out RBI single by Pichardo to score Woodward who had a pinch hit double. A two-out error in the bottom of the 7th allowed Griffith DeMayo to score and send the game into extra innings.

In the 8th, the Pioneers went down 1-2-3, and the Hawks were able to get a leadoff double and after a sac bunt, Welch connected on a walk-off single to lift the Hawks to the victory.

No Pioneer had multiple hits. Pichardo was 1 for 2 with a RBI and a pair of walks.

The Pioneers are next in action on Sunday when they travel to Ithaca for a 1 p.m. doubleheader with the Bombers.